The two piece band has already become almost cliche in today’s indie rock scene. Well, The Somme are not just another White Stripes or Black Keys wannabe peddling rough and raunchy blues based tunes. They go for a more epic wall of sonics in their purely instrumental songs. There’s enough intricacy going on that you’ll forget you’re just listening to one guitar and drums.

In their own words from their myspace:

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

The 1916 Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War. With more than one million casualties it was also one of the bloodiest battles in human history.

2007. Nearly half a decade has passed now since the mighty duo Somme first emerged from aChicago basement, endlessly cultivating, refining and rebuilding the ferocious guitar/drum offensive that’s since become their signature sound. Their debut EP, Weight, recorded in one day at Steve Albini’s legendary Electrical Audio Studios with revered engineer Greg Norman (High on Fire, Pelican, Mclusky, Magnolia Electric Co.), is a massive battle cry, at once reflecting the bloodsoaked triumphs of the allied forces and the thousands floating dead in the crimson River Somme on the day that remains, 87 years later, the British Army’s goriest onslaught in history.

Laid to tape in January 2007, with Norman at the decks, Weight is the first of a two-part series of sister recordings, the second of which is planned for release later this year. Due to the band’s intense working dynamic, it was essential that their music be captured live to analog equipment. The result is a spectacularly ambitious sonic marvel, owing as much to key influences Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Slow Riot-era Godspeed You Black Emperor as to the spectres of that brutal 1916 holocaust.

Awesome ColorThanks to Adam for the tip-off on these guys. Awesome Coloris a New York City via Ann Arbor, MI trio that blends the raw power of Iggy and The Stooges with Goo-era Sonic Youth. It’s pretty obvious why Thurston Moore signed them to his Ecstatic Peace label and partly produced their self titled debut disc.Check out this video for the cooking garage rocker Free Man.

The Swimmers start the first night of their every Wednesday in February residency at The Khyber in Philadelphia. It’s still early in the year but I’m going to make a bold statement and say their new record Fighting Trees is pretty much a shoo-in to make many best of 2007 lists at the end of the year. Check out a few songs on their myspace or stream the whole thing at their website.[WEBSITE][MYSPACE][HYPE]

From the mailbag this week the first releases from the brand new Nashville based label Me And The Machine.If you’re a fan of folky singer songwriters like John Prine,John Gorka or David Wilcox you’ll want to check these records out.